Veteran dancer Rena Schenfeld performs with 2 partners in ‘Date’
The 84-year-old choreographer and former prima ballerina, who usually dances solo, goes for a collaborative creation
Jessica Steinberg, The Times of Israel's culture and lifestyles editor, covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center
Veteran dancer Rina Schenfeld takes to the stage again Thursday night for “Date,” a dance piece with Avi Kaiser and Sergio Antonino at the Charles Bronfman Auditorium.
This time, said Schenfeld, who usually dances solo, she decided to perform with a man — in fact, two men.
In “Date,” the three dance in and among the audience in a small auditorium, using their movement and dance as a form of communication. They want to be at eye level with their audience, creating an experience of exploring new worlds inspired by the audience and the location and the music of Bach, Handel and Chopin.
It’s a very different kind of performance experience for Schenfeld, now 84, who usually dances alone, but she’s enjoying the process.
“Together we’re searching for life in a collaborative creation,” she said.
Schenfeld, the grande dame of the Israeli dance world, was born in Tel Aviv, studied ballet and switched to modern dance after seeing Martha Graham perform.
After Graham and Baroness Batsheva De Rothschild founded the Batsheva Dance Company, they chose Schenfeld as prima ballerina and choreographer.
Avi Kaiser and Sergio Antonino have been creating together since 2002, choreographing group works and duets performed throughout Europe, Israel and the US.
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